The Relationship Between Psychological Stress and Anxiety with Gastrointestinal Symptoms Before and During a 56 km Ultramarathon Running Race

• Published in: Sports medicine - open 2021-12, Vol.7 (1), Article 93
• Main Authors: Urwin, Charles S., Main, Luana C., Mikocka-Walus, Antonina, Skvarc, David R., Roberts, Spencer S. H., Condo, Dominique, Carr, Amelia J., Convit, Lilia, Jardine, William, Rahman, Shant S., Snipe, Rhiannon M. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Gender differences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Research Article; Regression analysis; Sports Medicine; Ultramarathon
• ISSN: 2199-1170; 2198-9761
• DOI: 10.1186/s40798-021-00389-5

Background This study assessed relationships and sex differences between psychological state (recovery, stress, anxiety, and self-confidence) and gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) prior to and during a 56 km ultramarathon running race and identified predictive factors of race GIS. Forty-four (26 males, 18 females) ultramarathon competitors completed anxiety, recovery, stress and GIS questionnaires for three days prior to the race and immediately pre-race. Race GIS were assessed immediately post-race. Spearman’s rank order, Mann–Whitney U tests and regression analyses were used to determine correlations and identify sex differences between psychological state and GIS and determine predictors of race GIS. Results Race GIS were significantly correlated with recovery ( r s  =  − 0.381, p  = 0.011), stress ( r s  = 0.500, p  = 0.001) and anxiety ( r s  = 0.408, p  = 0.006), calculated as the mean of the three days preceding the race and on race morning. The correlation between anxiety and GIS was strongest in the 24 h immediately prior to the race (all r s  > 0.400, and all p